In preparation for the first presidential debate this evening we’re beginning to see suggested questions for each of the candidates. USA Today proposes five questions for President Obama and five for Gov. Romney.
The Washington Examiner proposes seven questions for the candidates including this surprisingly tough question for Gov. Romney:
You have said you will not cut defense spending, nor Medicare, nor Social Security benefits for those within 10 years of enrolling. These promises, combined with interest payments on the national debt, would place about 70 percent of the federal budget off limits for cuts by the end of the decade. How can you then promise to balance the budget by 2020, given that you have also promised not to raise taxes?
Presumably, his answer will boil down to “economic growth” which would need to take place at a really unrealistic pace to accomplish the objective.
This evening’s topic is the economy. What single question would you ask each of the candidates?
I think the Examiner’s question to Gov. Romney is pretty darned good. Another good one might be to ask him what he would propose that was different from the things that President Bush proposed.
The question I would ask President Obama would probably be about the long-term unemployed.
How much money did you spend on the last piece of art you bought?
For Romney: You want to strengthen Welfare-to-Work requirements. If the economy doesn’t get better, especially if jobs aren’t created, will you be willing to bend? Or would you prefer to watch people become homeless or starve to stand on principle?
For Obama: You claim the economy has gotten stronger. But more people have dropped out of the workforce during your recovery than have gotten jobs. Most of the jobs created have been low-paying service jobs whereas most of the jobs lost were better paying jobs. The median income has continued to fall, and inflation continues to diminish most people’s purchasing power. How can you possibly claim that your stewardship of the economy has been anything other than a disaster?
David Frum had ten good questions for Obama two days ago. His number 5 was a pithier version of the one I asked above. Number 8 would be a good one to ask either candidate.
For Obama: The US birth rate has declined for the fourth year in a row. Isn’t this a direct indictment of your economic record? (This fall is not due to Boomers getting older.)
For Romney: You have been outspoken about wanting to confront Iran, militarily if necessary. We can see that such a confrontation would serve Israel’s interests. How would it serve ours better than containment and sanction policies? Or is the militant talk on your part due your long friendship with Bibi Netanyahu?
For Obama: You economic forecasting models have consistently over-stated how well things would go when your policies were enacted. Shouldn’t you fire everyone involved in those forecasts and get people that actually know what the Hell they’re doing instead? Or is it that none of you ever cared about them in the first place, and so follow-through doesn’t matter?
For Romney (echoing Schuler above): Your economic proposals posit GDP growth rates well above the historical average for many consecutive years running in order to achieve your budget goals. Are we to believe that you are so brilliant that there will be no recessions over the course of your (presumed eight year) Presidency? Or are you just making stuff up to look good?
I’d be kind of interested in seeing the difference in birth rate between native born and immigrants.
Shoot, I missed the restriction to the economy. Sorry.
Do you know the difference between your a$$ and a hole in the ground? If so, please compare and contrast.
To Obama: Do you believe that rolling back the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy would be good for economic growth, and if so, how?
To Obama: You’ve advocated greater support for our young people to get college degrees, yet many of those with college and graduate degrees can’t find jobs that require their degrees. On what basis do your education policies help more than they hurt them?
To Romney: Something snarky about his dad releasing lots of tax returns.
Could you both please go off in a corner and die?
Yes! Because the government would do great things with that money.
many of those with college and graduate degrees can’t find jobs that require their degrees
Alternately restrict it to people with STEM degrees.
Another alternative: many of those with college and graduate degrees can’t find jobs that require any degrees.
Mr. Obama: Your office has acknowledged that a tax increase on the wealthy will not have a significant impact on the budget deficit. Furthermore a tax increase will simply increase the drain on financial wealth of the private sector at a time spending remains weak. Given this reality why is a tax hike good policy?
Mr. Romney: You have repeatedly attacked deficits and spending, characterizing them as not only destructive but morally unacceptable. But it is a simple truth the government’s deficit is the private sector’s surplus. Why do you support measures to reduce the deficit which will undermine the ability of households and businesses to save money?
Do you know the difference between your a$$ and a hole in the ground? If so, please compare and contrast.
Romney: What’s an a$$?
Obama: Yes … uuuuuhhhhh … I do. The difference … is … uh … that my ass smells like roses. And and and … uuuuuhhhhh … a hole smells like … DIRT!
For both- What are your plans for health care reform? How will you cut costs? Is it possible to reform Medicare costs without addressing private sector costs?
Romney- Should America have millions of people who do not have access to real health care? (Maybe we need a preceding question to see if he knows the difference between emergency care and follow up/comprehensive care.)
Obama- Simpson-Bowles advocates for a strengthened IPAB to reduce Medicare costs. What will keep Democrats, and you in particular, from voting against these recommendations if it means reducing care for the elderly?
Steve
Obama- Why didnt you break up the big banks?
Romney- Why shouldnt we break up the big banks?
Steve
I like that one, steve.
To Obama — How is Romney going to raise taxes on the middle class?
To Romney – How is Obama going to raise taxes on the middle class?
I like that one, too, Jan.
I like a lot of the questions here, including Frum’s number 8 on immigration. Frum’s question is too long though. Any reporter asking a question with that much prefatory matter is not going to get a good answer. I can predict that if Obama is asked to assume that much about the nature of immigration, he will question the assumption and pontificate about how historically immigration has made as strong. He won’t answer the question.
I’ve been thinking that this is a good (though non-domestic) question: “Governor Romney, Your criticis charge that you are advocating outsourcing U.S. policy on Iran to the State of Israel. Is that charge accurate? [pause] And if not, why not?”
More deficits = more savings…so we need more deficits….what could possibly go wrong?
@Steve Verdon
A lot can go wrong, the worst of course that government tells the non-government sector to starve. You continue to focus on micro-inefficiencies when the massive tidal wave of a potential depression is hanging over your head.
@Ben,
I think there are problems with relying on accounting identities for building an economic theory…you ignore individual behavior.